CH 5 - Three Dimensional Space

Coordinate System
Vectors
- dot product
- vector product
Lines
Planes
Vector functions
Special curves
1

5.1. The Cartesian Coordinate System

One dim
0

right-handed
system

y
Two dim

Three dim

a
(a,b)

4 quadrants

Three axial planes

(x=0, y=0, z=0)
divide space into
eight equal octant
3

www.walter-fendt.de/m14e
Click
vector equation of a line in three- dim space
4

Distance between 2 points

P2 ( x2 , y2 , z2 )
P1 ( x1, y1, z1 )

P1P2 ( x2 x1 ) 2 ( y2 y1 ) 2 ( z2 z1 ) 2

Motivation

Equation of plane is given by

ax by cz b
and vector ai bj ck
is perpendicular to the plane
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The graph of y=2x-3 in three dim space

First , y=2x-3 is a line (red line) in the x-y plane
the graph is then a vertical plane
that lies over the line

http://www.math.uri.e
du/~bkaskosz/flashmo/
tools/parsur/

With the above examples, we may ask what is an equation

of a line in three dim space ? Expressing the equation in
terms of x, y, z is not easy.
We shall use vector.
First look at the following example.
In this example, we use vectors to represent a line in two
dim space

Animation
See power pt slide

L(t ) b tv

Each point P(x,y) in R2 corresponds to a position vector

x
OP
y

A line corresponds to the endpoints of a set of 2-dimensional

position vectors.

We use

L(t ) b tv

to represent a line in two dim space

where b is a fixed position vector with end point on the line
and v is a constant vector which is parallel to the line.

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5.2 Vectors (an important tool in three dim space)

Vector a directed line segment PQ
Q (terminal point)
(initial point) P
direction of vector direction of the arrow
magnitude of vector length of the line
segment PQ
Two vectors are equal if they have the same
direction & magnitude.

They may have different

initial and terminal points

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5.2.1 Terminologies and notations

The position vector of point P(x, y, z)

The initial point
is always zero

op x y z

x

op y
z

(magnitude)

The zero vector

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Addition

v1

v2
v1 v 2

v1 v 2
13

we always must connect

vectors 'head to tail'
and the resultant vector
(which represents the vector
sum) is drawn from the tail
of the first vector to the head
of the last vector

head

head
tail

tail
tail

head
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Negative & Scalar Multiplication

The scalar multiplication of

is
1

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Difference

v1
v2

v2 (v1 v2 ) v1

See next slide

16

u+(-v)
u
u-v

-v
v

17

 x1
uuu
r
OP y1

z1

uuur uuu
r
OQ OP

x2
uuur
OQ y2

z2

uuur
PQ

uuu
r uuur uuur
OP PQ OQ

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5.2.2 Example

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5.2.3 Angle between 2 vectors

p7 (LN)

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5.2.4 Scalar or dot product

Given
define (their dot product)

from previous slide

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5.2.5 Example

Find the angle between

and

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Perpendicular Vectors
The vectors

are perpendicular as

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5.2.6 Properties of dot product

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Unit Vectors
Unit vector: a vector of length one.
The standard unit vectors:

i j j k k i 0

25

 x
1
y x 0 y



z
0

0
0
1 z 0

0
1

w
1

w 1
w
w
26

w
1

w 1
w
w

w
w w
w

w (unit vector in w direction)

w (unit vector in vector v direction)
if v and w are in the same direction
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5.2.8 Projection
Let a & b be vectors. The projection
of b onto a is illustrated below:
Note that
Note that
See last slide

Hence

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Express b as the sum of vectors

parallel & perpendicular to a

Parallel to a

perpendicular to a
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5.2.9 Example
Find the projection of a = 2i + 5j onto b = i + j.
Solution.

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5.3 Vector or Cross Product

Given

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Example
Given

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5.3.1 Properties of Cross Product

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Geometrical Interpretation
5.3.2 Direction of

(v1 v2 )gv1 ( y1 z2 y2 z1 ) x1 ... 0

5.3.2 Magnitude of

Proof omitted

(1,0,0)
(0,1,0)
= (0,0,1)

Special
case

34


= the area of the following parallelogram

35

Suppose two vectors u and v are parallel

Then there exists a real number t such that

u tv

36

Summary

v2

cos
bga
bga a
proja b
2 a
a a
a
a gb
Pr oja b
a

v1
b

Proja b

a b area of parallelogram
induced by a and b

37

5.4 Lines in Space

Problem Given point

with position vector

& vector

find the equation of the line L passing through

& parallel to
Recall line equation in 2-dim space

38

39

5.4.1 Vector Equation of a Line L

Let P be a point on L with position vector
r = xi + yj + zk.
uuur
P0 P and v are parallel
uuu
r
uuur
OP r r0 P0 P r0 tv

40

5.4.2

Parametric equation (another version) of L

Parametric
equation of L
L

P ( x, y , z )

P0 ( x0 , y0 , z0 ) v ai bj ck
41

5.4.3 Example

uuu
r
AB and L are parallel

Parametric equation of L

42

5.4.4 Example

sect and they are not parallel

43

(a)
Eliminating r (finding the parameter for point
of intersection P) :
Comparing the components :
Solving :
The required position vector :

P L2

r
o

L1

44

(b)
Eliminating r :
It follows that
which are inconsistent.
Thus
i 2 j 3k and 3i j are not parallel,
so L1 and L3 not parallel

45

5.4.5 Example

Find the (shortest) distance from A (4i + 5j) to

the line L : r = (3i + j) + t(i + 2j).

46

Distance from point A to line L

=d=
Proof:

=
=d
uur
PA v area of parallelogram

47

5.5 Planes in Space

A plane in space is determined by
(i) a point on the plane &
(ii) its orientation (indicated by a normal to )
Problem Given point R in with position
vector
& normal
to :

find an equation for

48

Vector equation for

Let P be a point in with position vector
r = xi + yj + zk.
Then

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5.5.1Cartesian equation for

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SUMMARY

Equations for
Vector equation :
Cartesian equation :

Cartesian equation simplified :

51

5.5.2 & 5.5.3 Examples

Solution The required

equation is

52

We need a point and a normal, a point is there,

so need to find a normal

Solution. A normal to the plane

is

53

 The plane contains A(0, 0, 1)

with normal
The equation of the
plane is given by

54

5.5.4 Distance h from point S(

to plane (ax + by + cz = d)
Let P
be a point
in . Then h is the length
of the projection of
onto n :

(p31)
55

 x0 x1
uur
PS y0 y1 ( x0 x1 )i ( y0 y1 ) j ( z0 z1 )k

z0 z1

Plane equation is ax by cz d
So normal n to the plane is n ai bj ck
uur
PS n ( x0 x1 )a ( y0 y1 )b ( z0 z1 )c

x0 a y0b z0c ( x1a y1b z1c )

x0 a y0b z0c d
56

5.5.5 Example
Find the distance from the point (2, 3, 4) to
the plane: x + 2y + 3z = 13.
Solution. As
h
(a, b, c, d) = (1, 2, 3, 13)
we have
h=
57

2007

58

Q3(b)

Solutions

Q4(a)

59

2008

60

Q4(a)

Solution

61

5.6 Vector functions of one variable

r(t) = (cos t)i + (sin t)j
0t

62

 A vector function

is a function s.t. the outputs are vectors.

The real-valued functions f(t), g(t) & h(t) are
called the component functions of r(t).
5.6.1 Example

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5.6.2 Derivative
If
where f, g & h are differentiable, then

5.6.3 Example

64

5.6.4 Integral
The definite integral of a continuous vector
function
on the interval [a, b] is

65

Geometrical interpretation of r(t)

As h 0, Q P along C & PQ h
becomes the tangent vector r(t)
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5.7 Curves in space

67

 A curve C in space can be represented by

s.t. a point P lies on the curve if
of r(t), i.e.,

Vector eqn. of C

is the image

Parametric eqn. of C
68

http://www.math.uri.e
du/~bkaskosz/flashmo/
tools/parcur/

69

5.7.1 Examples
The vector eqn.
= i +2j + 3k + t(i + j + k)
represents a line passing through (1, 2, 3) &
parallel to
The circular helix

70

71

5.7.2 Smooth curves

Let C be a curve with vector fn r(t) on an
interval I (t in I). We say that C is smooth if
(i) r(t) is continuous &
(ii) r(t) 0
( that is, f(t), g(t) & h(t) are all continuous
& are not 0 simultaneously )

72

Example
r(t) = (1+t3)i + t2j
r(t) = 3t2i + 2t j
r(0) = 0
t=0
=> 1 + t = 1
t = 0
(1,0)
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5.7.3 Example
The vector eqn.
represents a smooth curve since
The vector eqn.
also represents a smooth curve as

74

Piecewise smooth curves

A curve in space is said to be piecewise
smooth if it is made up of a finite number of
smooth pieces.

5.7.4 Example The vector function:

represents a piecewise smooth curve

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5.7.5 Tangent vector & tangent line to a curve

Curve : r(t)
Tangent vector :
r(t) ( 0)
Unit tangent vector
the curve at
:

to

Tangent line
to r(t) at a point P (=
line through P & parallel to

):
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Animation, see power point slide

77

5.7.6 Example

The circular helix

=?

The point

lies on the curve.

78

 Unit tangent vector at

The required unit tangent vector is

i k

(1) 1
2

Tangent line at
:
line through
& parallel to
r(t) =
+ t(i + k)
or

79

5.7.7 Arc length of a curve

Curve C :
& a t b.
The arc length of C is

Proof omitted

80

5.7.8 Example

Given the helix :

find its arc length from t = 0 to t = 2.

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Arc length of a curve in two dim

Curve C :

, a t b.

Then h(t ) 0
The arc length of C is

END
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